1 ¶ Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, and the angel of the covenant, whom ye desire: behold, he comes, said the LORD of the hosts.

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies.

2 B ut who may abide the time of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he shall be like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap:

“But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap;

3 A nd he shall sit to refine and to purify the silver: for he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.

4 T hen the offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant unto the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yahweh, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

5 A nd I will come near unto you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and do not fear me, said the LORD of the hosts.

I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says Yahweh of Armies.

6 F or I am the LORD, I have not changed; therefore, ye sons of Jacob have not been consumed.

“For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

7 ¶ Even from the days of your fathers, ye had departed from my ordinances and had never kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, said the LORD of the hosts. But ye said, In what shall we return?

From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

8 W ill a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, In what have we robbed thee? In the tithes and the offerings.

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.

9 Y e are cursed with a curse: for ye, even this whole nation, have robbed me.

You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.

10 B ring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, and there shall be food in my house, and prove me now in this, said the LORD of the hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for.

11 A nd I will reprehend the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of the ground; neither shall the vine in the field abort, said the LORD of the hosts.

I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says Yahweh of Armies.

12 A nd all the Gentiles shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, said the LORD of the hosts.

“All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says Yahweh of Armies.

13 ¶ Your words have prevailed against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?

“Your words have been stout against me,” says Yahweh. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’

14 Y e have said, It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his law and that we walk mournfully before the LORD of the hosts?

You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God;’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies?

15 W e say, therefore, now, that blessed are the proud and even that those that work wickedness are prospered; those that tempted God have escaped.

Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’

16 T hen those that feared the LORD spoke one to another, and the LORD hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those that feared the LORD and for those that think in his name.

Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name.

17 A nd they shall be mine, said the LORD of the hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.

They shall be mine,” says Yahweh of Armies, “my own possession in the day that I make, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

18 T herefore become ye converted, and ye shall make a difference between the just and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that did not serve him.

Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.